FIG. 1 illustrates a typical flat bed trailer 10. Such flat bed trailers 10 are arranged to receive a goods container 12, for example, a shipping container. Typically, these containers 12 are lowered down on to the flat bed of the trailer and then secured in place by four locking mechanisms 14, one at each corner of the container 12. Normally the trailer 10 has a tipping mechanism (not shown) to allow the container 12 to be tipped up so that its contents can be dispensed from its rear end. This type of trailer is commonly referred to as a tipping skeletal trailer.
However, many problems arise with such assemblies. Operators 19 often forget to engage all locking mechanisms, or fail to do so properly, in which case the containers 12 have been known to slide off the trailer 10, especially when in the tipping mode.
Very often the containers 12 will contain large quantities of a flowable material, e.g. sugar, contained in very large bags 16 inside the trailer. The containers 12 often have restraining elements 18 extending horizontally across their rear ends to prevent the bags 16 of flowable material falling out of the rear of the container 12 when in the tipping mode.
To dispense this type of flowable material, the trailers typically have a dispensing mechanism 17 which is either located permanently at the rear of the trailer 10 or can be deployed for use.
When it is desired to dispense the flowable load, the dispensing mechanism is deployed (if it isn't already permanently deployed) and the bags of flowable material are connected to the dispenser so that the contents, i.e. the flowable material, is dispensed out of the container 12 via the dispenser. During this process, the bags 16 are retained within the container via the restraining elements 18.
It has been known, however, for these restraining elements 18 to give way under the weight of the bags thus causing the bags to fall out of the rear of the trailer. As a result, this type of container/trailer assembly has serious health and safety issues.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved barrier mechanism for rear ends of trailers and thereby mitigate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art.